About Us

OmSam Guest Home is a dream project of three medical doctors, Dr. K.K. Krishnamma, Dr. V. Lohi Das and Dr. Thulika Rohan – to offer tourists the elusive, intangible feel of how native Malayalis lived in their traditional homes. Since Om Sam Guest Home is perched almost at the crest of South Cliff, all rooms, even those in the ground floor, offer panoramic views of the sea and the sunset. Guests can sun-bath on the balconies leading out from every room, or simply indulge themselves by soaking in the view of the sea.

Mana with Mansard Roof

Traditional homes in Kerala used to have one or two small raised steps at the entrance to the compound, with accompanying overhead covering, which would offer protection from the sun as well as rain. The native Malayalam language word for step is padi, and the word for overhead structure is pura. Padippura therefore can best be translated as step(s) with overhead covering. The padippura at Om Sam Guest Home is one of its distinctive characteristics.

Traditional families of Kerala used abundant wood and wood materials for making their homes. Keeping this in mind, wood of all kinds has been sourced from all parts of Kerala, especially from rich orthodox homes and palaces; wood fresh-cut from the forest has been shunned : this was primarily to capture the evanescent spirit of the Malayali home. The most skillful master craftsmen of Kerala caressed and chiselled this wood for quite a long period, ever so lovingly and delicately, to blend superb finish with just the right amount of rusticity so as to invest the breathtakingly beautiful Om Sam with the incandescent, exquisite feel of the traditional Kerala home. Modern amenities such as bathroom, toilet, uninterrupted running [cold as well as hot] water, fan, A/c, refrigerator, internet, etc. have been provided in every room to enhance the comfort of guests.

The ground floor has three rooms: ‘Indra Mana’, ‘Kallya Mana’ and ‘Amritha Mana’. ’Amritha Mana’ has a ramp as an integral part of it for transporting feeble-bodied guests in a wheelchair.

The first floor too has three rooms: ‘Vel Mana’, ‘Krishna Mana’ and ‘Lekshmi Mana’.

The top-most floor, ‘Om Sam Mana’, is an aircom room and is fitted with glass walls for optimal view of the sea. Guests of this room would be able to enjoy salubrious sunbaths, view glorious sunsets, breathe exhilarating sea breeze, frolic on the floor under the open sky – all in absolute privacy and unobserved by the outside world.

About Varkala

Varkala, a coastal town, is located about 50 kms north-west of Trivandrum International Air Port. It is the only place in southern Kerala where cliffs border the Arabian Sea. The beach here is a haven for sun-bathing, swimming and other water sport activities.

It is believed that a dip in the sea in Papanasam beach would wipe away all sins of the living, and grant redemption to the dead and transport them to heaven. Close by is the 2,000-year-old Janardhana Swami Temple, which is one of the oldest temples constructed in stone in the ancient architectural style of South India. A few kilometers away, perched on top of a picturesque hill, is the Sivagiri Mutt, which was founded by Sree Narayana Guru, one of the greatest philosophers, social reformers and saints of Kerala. The East-West University of Brahmavidya and the Sree Narayana Gurukulam are housed in nearby hills.

Other popular places are the Varkala Tunnel, a 924 ft long tunnel built in 1867; Kappil Lake, also known as Edava-Nadayara Lake, a serene estuary in the middle of dense coconut groves about 4 Kms north of Varkala town; and Anjengo, which was chosen by the British East India Company in 1684 to establish their first trade settlement in Kerala. Anjengo still has the remains of the fort built by them.